Indicator for letter-boxes



(No Model.)

G. A; OOLTON.

INDIOATOR FOR LETTER BOXES. No. 438,095. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

'AUNITED STATES ATENT rricnt GEORGE A. COLTON, OF LAFAYETTE, NENV YORK.

INDICATOR FO R LETTER-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,095, dated October7, 1890.

Application filed December 17, 1889. fierial No, 334,083. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. COLTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lafayette, in the county of Onondaga, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inletter-boxes of that class provided with an automatic indicator arrangedto show the times of successive collection-such, for instance, as isshown in my Patent No. 397,341, dated February 5, 1889, and upon whichthis is designed as an improvement, and, like the devices shown in saidpatent, is also applicable to any use which requires an automaticannouncement of successive times of the occurrence of successive acts ofthe parties using the same.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and. in Which- Figure l is an elevation of a portion ofthe inner surface of the side wall of a letter-box having attachedthereto an indicator constructed in accordance with my invention, withportions broken away to better illustrate other parts. Fig. 2 is adetail in vertical section, showing a modified form of hasp, and Fig. 3is a like view with the parts closed and locked. Figs i and 5 aredetails hereinafter referred to.

' Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

I provide the retaining-pawl with a lug or finger extending through anopening in the case, by means of which the pawl may be disengaged fromthe dial, so as to allow the dial to return to its normal position incase of Sunday or irregular collections. I also provide an improvedmeans for locking the door and forcing the leverinward to move the dialthe distance of one tooth of its ratchet to expose a new series ofcharacters or a sub-dial announcing the time of successive opening ofthe box or collection of the mail.

resents a side or bottom of a letter-box or othercompartment, and B thedoor, connected thereto by means ofa hinge, as A.

O is the casing, having lugs 0, adapted to engage screws 0 or otheranalogous devices to facilitate the attachment and removal of thecasing, for the purpose of ready access to the mechanism of theindicator to adjust or regulate the same, as occasion may require.

As the mechanism of the indicator forms no part of the present inventionand is fully described and illustrated in my patent above referred to, Ihave shown only such parts as act directly with the parts constitutingmy invention. Such parts are the ratchet D, the

. gravity-pawl E, and the lever F, it being understood that these'partsare arranged and operate in relation to the other parts of the indicatorin the same manner as shown and described in the prior patent, except ashere inafter specified.

Upon Sundays and holidays it is customary to vary the time ofcollection, and in order to avoid the necessity of opening and closingthe door when irregular collections are to be made I form the pawl Ewith a projecting portion or finger E, which Works through an opening Ein the side of the'case, so that it can be readily reached when the boxis opened and operated to release the dial and allow it to return to itsnormal position.

The end of the lever F is designed when the door is opened to be forcedby means of its spring through an opening F in the door ICO the outerend of the lever F, and thus force it in to cause it to move the dialthe distance of one tooth of its ratchet. \Vhen the hasp is in theproper position, the parts are locked by means of a suitable fasteningdevice, such as G It being the object of this invention to provide forthe automatic forcing inward of the lever by the locking devices, it isevident that various modifications may be resorted to for .accomplishingthis purpose without departdoor is closed the hasp is thrown upward intothe position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, embracing the staple, andthe end of the lever may be formed with shoulders, as G3, against whichthe walls of the opening in the hasp engage and force it inward, asillustrated in Fig. 3, or the opposite sides of the free end of thelever may be beveled, as shown at F in Fig. 3, and the hasp passedfreely over the same without contact therewith, and the lever beingdesigned to be moved backward by the insertion of the lock G as it isinserted through the staple. In the latter form the free end of thelever projects through the opening in line with the staple.

Various other modifications in detail may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

The dial plate or disk K is provided with a plurality of disks K, ofpaper or other suitable material, designed to be held therein byfriction or otherwise, and each recess or depression in which said disksare held is provided with a hole 70, through which suitable means may beintroduced from the rear side to remove the disks for the insertion ofothers. These disks each bear a number or other character, as shown inFig. 5, and in any suitable position-for instance, as is shown by dottedlines in Fig. 1 at 7t, where it is seen from the outside of the boxisplaced acard, as L, shown detached in Fig. 4, bearing the times ofcollection, as shown, and the times being designated by numbers or othercharacters corresponding with the numbers on the disks, so that when thedisk is exposed to view through the sight-opening, if the figure l isexposed, for instance-by looking at the corresponding number on the cardit will be seen that the next collection will take place at 5.30 a. m.

The hasp in the different constructions shown serves to close theopening through which the lever projects, and thus serves to preventtampering with the registering device. This is deemed important.

That I claim'as new i's- 1. The combination, with the indicatormechanism and the case, of a leverindependent of and actuated by theclosing of the locking device, a part of said locking device serving topractically close the opening through which the lever passes,substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the case and indicating mechanism and itslever, of the looking devices, the hasp of which is arranged in the pathof said lever and arranged to close the opening through which the leverpasses, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the case and the indicator, having one end ofits operatinglever independent of the locking device projecting throughan opening, of the locking devices having the movable portion thereofarranged in the path of said end of the lever and arranged to close theopening through which the lever passes, as set forth.

'4. The combination, with the case and indicating devices and theoperating-lever of said indicating devices extending through an openingin the case, of the staple and the hasp moving in the path of theextended end of the lever and arranged to close the opening throughwhich the lever passes, as set forth.

5. The combination, with the case and indicating devices, the lever ofwhich extends through an opening in the case, of the staple on the casein line with the extended end of the lever, and the pivoted hasparranged to engage said lever and close the opening th rough which itpasses, substantiallyas specified.

6. The combination, with the case and in dicating devices, theoperating-lever of which extends through an opening in the case, of astaple on the case in line with the extended end of the lever, and apivoted hasp having an. aperture adapted to embrace said staple and endof the lever, as set forth.

7. The combination, with the case and indicating devices, the lever ofwhich projects through an opening in the case, of a staple.

on the exterior of the case in line with the extended end of the lever,the extended end of the lever being beveled, and a pivoted hasp havingan aperture designed to embrace said staple and end of the lever, as setforth.

8. The combination, with the case and in GEORGE A, COLTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY H. MUNGER, EDWARD W. SMITH.

